Taking us into the eye of the storm. Today,
Lainey Wilson released her fifth studio album aptly titled
Whirlwind , which is an evolution in both her sound and writing that meets the moment of her rising country music stardom. I mean, the woman is everywhere right now, though she's been working her a** off in Music City for 12 years now trying to make it, so rest assured that this is all quite the opposite of overnight success, and Lainey has earned every bit of it by putting in the hard work and time. The Louisiana native is known for her throwback style and bell bottom pants, and that is a huge part of this album in terms of the funky, soulful sound that is a thread through each and every song. I have been a fan of Lainey for many years, since she released her self-titled EP in 2018, and it's been incredible to watch her journey over the years and how she has honed her craft and really found her footing as an artist. I think this is easily her most cohesive, impressive body of work yet, and speaks to every aspect of who she is as a musician and person. Lainey included several love songs on the tracklist, which is a rarity and all due to the fact that she "finally" found a man worth writing about (her words), which is refreshing and intriguing because I feel like we've never learned much about this side of her. Above all else, Lainey considers herself a songwriter and storyteller first, and that is apparent in every song on this record. In an interview with Zane Lowe on Apple Music 1 ahead of today, Lainey says that's partially because she's "learning how to just trust myself" and lean into what makes her such a gifted and unique writer:
"I'm learning how to just trust myself. Not that I haven't trusted myself in the past, but I've also learned that go in different places. I mean, this year we've already toured Australia, UK, Europe, and I get to meet so many different types of people from all over. And the more I do that, the more I realize that we all actually have a lot more in common than you think. And I think I've learned to just to lean into those things and not be scared to stay true to myself. Of course, stay true to my story and my roots, but not be scared to color outside of the lines. I don't want to play things safe. I think you should show that you're growing and changing. And I think for the most part, with this record, we do have that constant thing that has worked for us. But I think we just leveled up." I think "leveled up" is the perfect way to describe what Whirlwind is and represents for her career, and Lainey added that she's "very, very" proud of the project, which encapsulates the way her life changed at "190 miles an hour":
"I'm very, very proud of this. And too, just the reason that we ended up wanting to name the record ‘Whirlwind' is because of moments like that. Because I felt like my life was changing at 190 miles an hour and I was just trying to keep one foot on the ground. But I think those 10 years of nothing happening for me prepared me for my life changing super fast." She has so much variety in 14 songs, from love songs like "Whirlwind" and "Counting Chickens," which were inspired by her relationship with Duck Hodges, to biting, funny tunes like
"Ring Finger" (one of my favorites), Lainey's depth is on full display and I'm so here for it. On
"Devil Don't Go There," another one of my favorites, she addresses heartbreak in a strikingly honest, almost dark way, and on "Middle Of It," Lainey encourages all of the dreamers to keep their eye on the ultimate goal and not get lost into the disappointments, highs and lows of what comes with it... coming from her, it's incredibly authentic and totally believable. The closing track, "Whiskey Colored Crayon," is a stunner and a standout she wrote with Josh Kear and Wyatt McCubbin, and the kind of timeless, heart-wrenching song every bona fide country artist needs in their catalog. I think Lainey is so good at addressing tough topics in such a disarming way, and I know this one will become a quick fan-favorite. Pre-released tracks "Country's Cool Again," "Good Horses," "Hang Tight Honey" and "4x4xU" were excellent as well, and equally great additions to the tracklist. In my post two years ago about her
Bell Bottom Country album, I called Lainey "the next big thing in country music," and I'm happy to report that was 100% correct. I also said that:
"She’s a million percent country, writes from the heart, and brings her own flare to it all, making her a totally unique artist that is blazing her own trail and doing it the right way." And even after two years of finding superstardom, being on magazine covers and winning every kind of country award an artist could every could dream of, and
even a Grammy , Lainey has kept her feet planted firmly on the ground, staying true to her Louisiana roots through her whirlwind life. The figurative storm, so to speak, has shaped and molded her into a better, more confident artist, and though I'm sure it's come along with tests, trials, and maybe even a few cuts and bruises, she's come out on the other side of it with a no-skips, timeless album that's uniquely Lainey and country as hell. I've listed a few of my early favorites below, but you should go listen to the entire record because it's truly her best work yet.
"Whirlwind" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M1eDf0CfyTA
"Counting Chickens" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DCJ9U_xgsMI
"Ring Finger" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DqV0z-9IDo8
"Middle Of It" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCmJSrRPGbY
"Devil Don't Go There" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NtK6AxpwxHU
"Whiskey Colored Crayon" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BVrGFvnzbaI
Whirlwind tracklist: 1. Keep Up With Jones (Lainey Wilson, Josh Kear, Wyatt McCubbin) 2. Country’s Cool Again (Lainey Wilson, Trannie Anderson, Dallas Wilson, Aslan Freeman) 3. Good Horses (feat. Miranda Lambert) (Lainey Wilson, Miranda Lambert, Luke Dick) 4. Broken Hearts Still Beat (Lainey Wilson, Dallas Wilson, Josh Thompson, Blake Pendergrass) 5. Whirlwind (Lainey Wilson, Trannie Anderson, Dallas Wilson) 6. Call A Cowboy (Lainey Wilson, Trannie Anderson, Dallas Wilson) 7. Hang Tight Honey (Lainey Wilson, Driver Williams, Jason Nix, Paul Sikes) 8. Bar In Baton Rouge (Lainey Wilson, Trannie Anderson, Kasey Tyndall, Jason Nix) 9. Counting Chickens (Lainey Wilson, Trannie Anderson, Josh Kear, Dallas Wilson, Jon Decious) 10. 4x4xU (Lainey Wilson, Jon Decious, Aaron Raitiere) 11. Ring Finger (Lainey Wilson, Aaron Raitiere, Marti Dodson, Jon Decious) 12. Middle Of It (Lainey Wilson, Trannie Anderson, Dallas Wilson) 13. Devil Don’t Go There (Lainey Wilson, Abram Dean, Lance Miller, Joe Fox) 14. Whiskey Colored Crayon (Lainey Wilson, Josh Kear, Wyatt McCubbin)
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